A wide variety of processes use radial flow reactors to provide for contact between a fluid and a solid. In a reactor, the solid usually comprises a catalytic material on which the fluid reacts to form a product. In an adsorber, the solid usually comprises a solid adsorbent for removing one or more components from a fluid stream. The processes cover a range of processes, including hydrocarbon conversion, gas treatment, and adsorption for separation.
Radial flow reactors are constructed such that the reactor has an annular structure and that there are annular distribution and collection devices. The devices for distribution and collection incorporate some type of screened surface. The screened surface is for holding catalyst, or adsorbent, beds in place and for aiding in the distribution of pressure over the surface of the reactor to facilitate radial flow through the reactor bed. The screen can be a mesh, either wire or other material, or a punched plate. For a moving bed, the screen or mesh provides a barrier to prevent the loss of solid catalyst particles while allowing fluid to flow through the bed. Solid catalyst particles are added at the top, and flow through the apparatus and removed at the bottom, while passing through a screened-in enclosure that permits the flow of fluid over the catalyst. The screen is preferably constructed of a non-reactive material, but in reality the screen often undergoes some reaction through corrosion, and over time problems arise from the corroded screen or mesh.
The screens or meshes used to hold the catalyst particles within a bed are sized to have apertures sufficiently small that the particles cannot pass through. A significant problem is the corrosion of meshes or screens used to hold catalyst beds in place, or for the distribution of reactants through a reactor bed. Corrosion can plug apertures to a screen or mesh, creating dead volumes where fluid does not flow. Corrosion can also create larger apertures where the catalyst particles can then flow out of the catalyst bed with the fluid and be lost to the process increasing costs. This produces unacceptable losses of catalyst, and increases costs because of the need to add additional makeup catalyst. With the design of new reactor internals, the losses due to corrosion and plugging of screens are reduced, but potential losses of catalyst can occur during start-ups and during operational changes when temperatures and pressures in a system fluctuate greatly.
The design of reactor components can overcome catalyst losses can save significantly on downtime for repairs and the replacement of catalyst, which is a significant portion of the cost of processing hydrocarbons.